Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-05
@What caused her to dior

"You saw from your balcony man go INTO
Larouette'S house and kill him. Was it your
fatherf'
The child made negative sign
"Your mother saw him, too--your poor,
dead mother. You loved her, did you notp
''Oh, yes, sir"
"Then try TO remember. for her sake, what
or who you saw that night"
Il did not see anything"
The president then addressed Roger:
The silence of this child accuses you"
ALAS, SIR" said Roger, a begged her to
speaI., hut she would not"
What slc saw must be more terrible to
say than what she leaves us to believe by her
silence"
did your lnothee tell you to deny having
seen anythingf'
mo, Sin, she did mott
Did you see your father or not, childl Re
member, it is his life that is trembling on
your lips"
Il have told you all, 50 many, many times
that l saw nothing, nothing at all Please do
not try to make mo tell lie"
Here the unhappy little creature burst into
tears
why do you cry, my childT" asked the
president
Because my papa is crying"
Here one of the jury arose. He could bear
this scene no longer, II think, your honor,
v7c have heard al that is necessary"
Many persons were in tears, and the presi-
dent himself was very willing that the little
martyr he spared further Suffering, and she
was carried out by an Giiiccr and given to the
tender care of the uncia and aunt who
awaited her
Then they questioned Roger, and he an
swered all the questions in detail, repeating
what he had told them before, but was so ex-
haustcd when all was done that he could not
hold himself straight in his chair, but he had
not given the name OF his mysterious debtor.
When Lucien rose, sustained by his
cIutches, and his poor manned limbs ending
with wooden stumps, there was murmur of
pity all through the hall, and several mem
bers Of the jury could scarcely restrain their
tears. He opened his plea slowly, i'll a low
voice at first, but which warmed into elo-
guence as he went over step by step Rogers
past life and history, told of his courage and
devotion to bis country, his family, his friend,
| and then tried to show that such man could
| not have become murderer even TO save his
business from ruin. He made them feel that
| man so honorable as Roger must hold an
others secret safe at the risk and sacrifice of
| his own life, and that the secret of tine person
who gave him this money was sacred and
might even be baptized in blood. He had
spoken an hour and was now about TO attack
| the evidence and try to prove that this was
| case of mistaken identity, and that probably
Henriette and Suzanne had seen some one
whom they imagined from a resemblance to
Roger to be him, and that it was an easy
matter to he mistaken, under such circum-
stances and in the excitement, when one of
the officers of the court handed him a small
note marked Important; read at once"
Even while continuing his speech Lucien
opened the note and the envelope fell I'M
heeded to the floor Still speaking he opened
ont the sheet which bore but few,lines in an
unknown handwriting, and then he took up
a glass of water and read as he drank At
| first he did not understand it. This was
| what it contained:
"You undertake the defense of Roger La
| rogue. You speak of his honor in keeping
silence about the money and who paid him
| Go home and ask your wife, or, better still,
| ask her lover whose life YOU are trying to
save"
that Roger might escape.
| Now, as by n lightnng's fash, Lucien saw
| all, knew all All that had been inexphcable
| before was explained And the light came
| sn snddeily that he fell backward to a seat
| and remained there for moment as if dead
| Whym he arose again, with the help OF the
| eenlarme4, he looked like corpse, only that
| lie moved.
He turned to Roger, and murmured but
| Two words:
Infamous mani"
| -'Lucien!" said Roger
| "L9ok ne, Julia's husband, your FRIEND in
! the farpr
For answer, Roger hid his eyes in both his
| hands and bowed his head in silence Lucien
| was answered
| Lucien thought. His eloquent plea for
| Roger had ceased, but he dimly felt that he
must proceed He must continue He was
here to save Roger from the accusation of
| the crime he did not commit, not to condemn
| him for the one he had At least he could do
his duty, but he felt something give way i'll
| his brain. He rose TO the occasion and his
| duty, and began again his interrupted ad-
| dress, though his voice was hOarse and faint
| "Repose yourself a little" said the presi-
| dent
But Lucien shook his head. He now knew
! all, and Rogers innocence of this crime COM
manded his best efforts The rest could come
| afterward
| He spoke, and his voice and heart grew
| strong together, and that vast audience hung
breathless upon his words, and into them be
| put so much of his own despair that every
| heart melted, Roger heard nothing of all
| this. Those two awful words resounded like
thunderous reverberations through his brain,
| deadening every other sound.
But suddenly that tide of impassioned
| words was checked and then resumed feebly
| Il charge you, men of the jury, to remem-
Ter that Roger Laroque is innocent l know
1t. swear it, but | cannot divulge his secret :"
And with the last word Lucien fell into the
arms OF those nearest him, and when the doc
tor reached him he said: He is dead; he has
ruptured blood vessel in his brain"
Roger tried to reach him, but he was held
firmly in his seat, and when they told him
Lucien was dead he burst into al agony of
IBIS, which he vainly tried to stifie He alone
knew what had been Lucien's death blow,
and he felt himself condemned OF God and
man. Already two deaths upon his con
science Henriette's and Lucien's He wished
to die that he might expiate his sin
When the president asked him if be had
anything to add, he SAID, IN sonorous voice:
Il am guilty. Condemn me"
But his measure of sutferings was not yet
full. And when the jury, after u short con.
sultation, returned, they gave in their verdict;
Guilty, but with extenuating circum-
stances"
So he could not even die. He was CON
demned to the galleys for life, Thus he must
expiate his wrong, and he was led away, his
head bowed, and his face that of an old
broken down man
ITO be continued
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